1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to blackout drapery linings, and more particularly, to retrofit linings which may be installed for use with preexisting drapery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional draperies are primarily designed for style and appearance, and are generally made from premium fabrics of various colors. While such fabrics may serve the purpose of creating a desired visual effect, and may provide a desired level of privacy, they are generally ineffective for preventing a substantial quantity of light penetration into a room from outside sources, and a corresponding illumination of the room to an undesired level.
The problem of undesired illumination is particularly noticeable in any room used for sleeping. Even with eyelids closed, 20% of this undesired environmental light still is admitted to the eyes, interfering with proper sleep. Lack of sleep is related to other health problems, and results in lost productivity in the work-place due to related mistakes, illnesses and absences. Further, the Department of Transportation estimates that 200,000 traffic accidents each year may be sleep related.
For those living in densely populated urban or suburban areas, the amount of light penetration into a bedroom at night may be considerable due to sources such as street lights, light from adjacent buildings and automobile headlights. However, the problem of unwanted light penetration is especially acute for those who sleep during the daytime, for example, the 20 million shift workers who work at night. Napping infants are also deprived of sleep due to unwanted penetration of sunlight.
Accordingly, elimination of undesired light from bedrooms is a desirable goal. Blackout drapery are known in the art, and serve to eliminate unwanted light penetration. With reference to FIG. 1, such linings 1 are hung adjacent drapery 3 and include a plurality of loops 21 extending from an upper edge which are designed to suspend the lining from a plurality of drapery hooks 5. Hooks 5 are the same drapery hooks from which drapery 3 is suspended. However, in known linings, the degree to which light penetration may be precluded is limited due to light penetrating around the outer edges of the linings, that is, between the linings and the window frame. The degree of light blockage is further degraded for multi-panel draperies, which require the use of a corresponding number of blackout lining panels. In this situation, unwanted light penetrates through the slit between adjacent panels.